208 GALAXID^. 



Fam. 9. GALAXID^. 



Galaxiae, Miiller, Ahhandl. Akad. Wiss. Berl. 1844, p. 187, 



Body naked; barbels none. Margin of the upper 

 jaw chiefly formed by the intermaxillaries, which are 

 shprt and continued by a thick lip, behind which are 

 the maxillaries. Belly rounded. Adipose fin none; 

 dorsal opposite to anal. Pyloric appendages in small 

 number. Air-bladder large, simple; pseudobranchise 

 none. The ova fall into the cavity of the abdomen 

 before exclusion. 



Fresh waters of the temperate zone of the southern hemisphere. 

 One genus only. 



1. GALAXIAS. 



Galaxias, Cuv. Ithgne Anim. 



Mesitfts, Jenyns, Voy. Beagle, Fish. p. 118. 



A series of conical teeth in the jaws, on each palatine bone, and 

 on each side of the tongue ; teeth on the tongue hook-Hkc. 

 Australia, New Zealand, southern parts of South America. 



1. Galaxias alepidotus. 



Eaox alepidotus, Forster, Descrinf. Anim. cur. Lichtenst. p. 142 ; Bl. 



Schn. p. 395. 

 Galaxias alepidotus, Cuv. Rcgne Anim. ; Richards, in Dieffenb. New 



Zealand, A/jj). p. 219 ; & Zoal. Ereh. ^ Terr. Fish. p. 77. 

 forsteri, Cuv. Sf Vol. xviii. p. 351. 



B. 10. D. 13. A. 11-15. V. 7. P. 11. Ca;c. pyl. 2. 



Body stout ; head broad, depressed, its length being equal to the 

 height of the body, and more than one-fourth of the total (without 

 caudal). Lower jaw a little shorter than the upper ; cleft of the 

 mouth wide, the maxillary extending to behind the vertical from the 

 middle of the eye. Eye of moderate size, one-fifth of the length of 

 the head, and two-thirds of the extent of the snout. The length of 

 the pectoral fin is more than one-half of the distance of its root from 

 the ventral, and the ventral terminates at a short distance from the 

 vent ; the anal extends beyond the base of the caudal, if laid back- 

 wards. The least depth of the tail is more than the distance between 

 dorsal and caudal fins. Blackish brown, with scattered, small, round, 

 light-coloured spots or streaks. Fins blackish. 



New Zealand. 



a-c. Seven and eight inches long. Presented by Captain Stokes. 



